Little Lucy - S01 E15

3 years ago

Little Lucy - S01 E15

Read Story: SEASON 1 EPISODE 15

Standing by the doorway, a book in her hand, was Collette.

My mouth opened and closed and the blood from my face drained away.

” C–Collette…”

She slowly walked into the room, her calm face staring straight at Efua. ” Vice president, do you know how to act in public? This is a public place where anyone can pass by. You’d only cause trouble for Lucy if anyone saw you two like this.”

Efua balled her hands into fists. ” Saw us like what?!”

” If you act like her girlfriend, think more about her welfare,” Collette continued, her eyes fixed on Efua’s face. ” She’s too young to be involved in any scandal in school.”

I stood where I was, watching her with frightened eyes.

Please let there not be a fight. Please do not fight.

Efua gritted her teeth at her. ” Is that why you told her to aviod me.”

” Probably so.”

” Why do you say that so definitely?”

” Because she’s my roommate and I care about her well-being more than you do,” Collette replied.

Efua smirked a bitter smile. ” Oh, roommate. I thought all you ever cared about was MOM.”

Collette’s eyebrows were immediately drawn down into a frown. ” Let’s leave Vee out of this.”

” No we’re not,” Efua stepped up close to her and pointed a finger at Collette’s face. ” Now listen to me, you no good dirty snobbish b*tch. I care about Lucy as much as you claim you do. And it’s not just anything sexual or the other. It’s something more deeper than that. I love her and I’m ready to protect her and make her happy the same way she’s made me happy.”

Collette used her book to slap Efua’s finger off her face. ” Good for you, vice president but unfortunately for you, Lucy knows nothing about love. She’s just a kid.”

” She’s knows more than you do,” Efua Barked at her. ” When my parents died, I was devasted. Everyone abandoned me to face my fate but Lucy stood up for me. She took good care of me and gave me a reason to smile again. Now I’m stronger and ready to face life on my own. She may be a kid but she understands humanity more than you. I can not believe you never even came to me to give me your condolences. Not that I was expecting you to. But the fact you didn’t care to put an effort to speak to me shows how heartless you are.”

Collette said nothing. She just stared, her eyes shaking.

” Lucy is mine,” she continued. ” And I don’t care what you or anyone else thinks. She accepted to be my school daughter Because she knows you don’t care about her. You’ve always been that way for as long as I’ve known you. You’re selfish, proud, greedy and heartless. If there’s anyone between the two of us Lucy should be avoiding, it’s you not me.”

Collette’s hand went down to her skirt and I saw her clutched at it. ” Vice president, I’d really appreciate it if you stay clear off Lucy.”

Efua placed her hand on her waist and stood face to face with Collette. ” And what if I don’t?”

Collette was silent again. She swallowed a lump of saliva down her throat and I could see sweat beads on her forehead.

Efua raised an eyebrow, chuckling softly. ” Ohh, now I get it. You’re jealous that’s why you wanted me out of her life.”

” I have my reasons,” she replied. ” Fighting over a girl is becoming quite immature, vice president. For someone of your intellect and status I expected more out of you. Guess I’m disappointed.”

Efua pushed her away roughly on the chest, raging fire and brimstone. ” You dirty w---e! Speak for yourself. You’ve always been the one fighting over MOM from all of us.”

I glanced back at Collette to see her breathing hard. She clutched her chest. ” That was a mistake that would never happen again. Leave Lucy out of this. She’s too young to make the mistakes we both made.”

” Too late!” Efua shouted. ” It’s already been done. I’m never letting go of her. Never.”

Collette began breathing heavily. Before Efua and I, she collapsed to the ground.

Alarm jumping in my eyes, I knelt beside her and held her close. ” Collette! Collette!”

Efua stood over us, watching as Collette’s breathing came in heavily. My eyes watered as I stared at her helpless soul.

I turned sharply at her. ” She’s having her asthma attack. Do something.”

Collette was gasping now as the air became thinner for her to breath.

Efua remained where she was, watching with her body stiff and tensed.

With tears in my eyes, I yelled at Efua. ” Don’t just stand there! Do something. Save her!”

That seemed to have woken her up for she dashed off towards Collette’s wardrobe and opened it to search for her inhaler.

I was holding Collette closer, my hand Cupping her face. ” Please, Collette. Please stay with me. Stay with me.”

Her breathing became thinner and thinner. I yelled again. ” We’re losing her. Hurry up!”

Efua threw the clothes and books off Collette’s wardrobe until she found the inhalers. She grabbed one and dashed back to me.

Together, we lapped Collette and fixed the inhaler to her mouth.

” Breathe, Collette,” Efua spoke fast. ” Come on, breathe.”

Collette began s-----g in the medicine desperately. She s----d lightly then faster and soon her breathing became normal.

For the next three minutes, we knelt down beside Collette until she was back.

Sighing in relief, I relaxed and smiled up at Efua. ” Thanks for saving her.”

Efua didn’t say anything. She stood up and watched as I held Collette close to me.

Collette removed the inhaler from her mouth and slowly stood up from my arms. She smacked her lips and glanced around at Efua.

” Leave my room!”

Efua glared at him. ” Excuse me? Are you shutting me out?!”

” Collette,” I stood to my feet as well. ” She just saved your life.”

” Shut up!” She pointed at me. ” One more word from you and our deal is off.”

” But—”

” This doesn’t concern you,” her voice went a little high pitched. ” Get back inside and prepare for dinner.”

My face burning with anger, I marched away, my back stiff with rage.

She returned back to Efua. ” And as for you, leave my room this instant.”

” I’m not going anywhere,” Efua barked at her. ” And I’d like to see you make me.”

I stopped and turned sharply, afraid of an impending fight.

Collette then did something unimaginable. She grabbed Efua by the shirt and drew her close to her face.

Her mouth came in contact with Efua’s lips and she kissed her.

I stood where I was, shocked at what I was seeing.

Efua stared at her as Collette’s mouth held her lips. Her eyes were shaking as she watched Collette leading her out of the room, still kissing her.

When they were both outside the room, Collette pushed her away roughly and held the door handle.

Efua glanced up at her, panting heavily with large surprised eyes.

Collette stared calmly at her. ” You kissed Lucy twice. Now I’ve retrieved it back. Don’t go kissing her again. Goodnight!”

And she slammed the door shut.

???

” What was that all about?” I asked, glaring at Collette as she staggered towards her bed and fell on it.

” Nothing,” she replied, her eyes closed.

” Nothing? For crying out loud Efua just saved your life and all you had to do was shut her out?!”

Her eyes still closed, she replied. ” Like I said, it’s none of your concern.”

” It is my concern,” I sniffed. ” Both of you were fighting because of me and I don’t like it.”

” Lucy,” she opened her eyes. ” Shut up.”

” I will not shut up!” I yelled at her. ” Why are you Soo arrogant and selfish? Why can’t you get along with Efua. She’s not a bad person. From what just happened minutes ago I can tell she still cares about you. Honestly, I’m still shocked you didn’t give her your condolences even after you knew how much the loss of her parents affected her.”

Collette stood up and for a moment there, I thought she was going to hit me.

But she didn’t.

Instead she walked passed me to her wardrobe and began arranging her day wear.

She was ignoring me—again.

I got really, really mad. ” Tell me, did you tell me to stop seeing Efua because you were jealous?”

No answer.

I nodded. ” I guess I am correct.”

” I’m only looking out for you, Lucy.” Collette spoke suddenly and I could hear her voice sounding on edge. ” You have no idea what path you’re treading on. You should be grateful you have me here to help you out.”

” That still doesn’t answers my questions.”

” I don’t hate the vice president,” she continued sharply. ” She and I have long history but that’s all forgotten by now. We’ve both made terrible mistakes. That’s why I told you to stop seeing her. By associating with her all the more, you’d only end up repeating the same mistake she made.”

” You talk as if you’re perfect!” I barked. ” Before you start casting stones, check yourself very well. You’re no better than her.”

” That’s the difference between me and the vice president, Lucy,” Collette said. ” I don’t claim to be perfect….but I am better than her. I am better because unlike her, I’ve realized all my mistakes and I’m making ways to correct all my wrongs. But she….she hasn’t even realized hers yet. She’s still wallowing in darkness. I wouldn’t want you to follow her lead. You’d only end up with regrets for the rest of your life.”

I bite my underlip. ” You don’t scare me, Collette. Efua is a good person. Stop trying to paint her bad before me.”

She shrugged, taking off her shirt and wrist watch. ” Like I said before, I never hated her.”

” Then why do you always act like you did?!” I raised my voice. ” You don’t say her name, you can’t look her in the eyes without ignoring her, you didn’t give a f--k about her parents death….you just keep acting as if she’s your sworn enemy.”

Taking her towel from the wardrobe, she wrapped herself and walked over to me.

” You know what?” She leaned forward at me, her voice calm and her eyes hard and remote. ” You do seemed taken being with the vice president. That’s alright, I wouldn’t stop you anymore. You can go ahead. Go get yourself f*cked. Become her school daughter. Be her lover and if it’s possible, ask her to help you join the LILIES since you’re soo stubborn and stupid to listen to reasons. I won’t stop you anymore. But I must warn you, the moment you join the LILIES, there’s no turning back. You’ll end up like me. You’ll never find a reason to smile again. That’s what the LILIES do. They take away your smile. Our deal is off, Lucy. I can’t help you cause by mere looking at you, I can tell you’re not yet ready to learn. C.A test is on Monday. I wish you the very best. You can now hang out more with your girlfriend. It’s no longer part of my business.”

My head was Soo congested with rage that I yelled at her. ” Fine! I don’t need your help anyway!”

And I walked passed her out of the room, slamming it shut behind me.

??????

Bed time!

She wasn’t studying just like last night. She was playing chess. I was up on my bed, going through my textbooks.

I swear to God, everything in this textbooks looks Soo strange and difficult. I can’t remember seeing these stuff taught in class. Now I was more than worried about my test on Monday.

Collette hasn’t spoken to me and I never even made an attempt to speak to her either.

I was mad at her and I didn’t know why. After what happened today, I resolved within myself to succeed without her help.

Suddenly she started coughing and I looked up sharply in alert for any sign of her asthma attack.

But it wasn’t the asthma.

I noticed Collette was quavering. She got up, returned the chess back into her wardrobe and climbed her bed, covering herself with her blanket.

I would have gone up to her to find out what was the matter with her but I was still mad at her so I never bothered.

Sunday morning, Collette prepared and left to organize breakfast.

Now every Sunday, we wore white uniforms. Somehow the school Catholic Church believes it symbolizes purity.

I hated going to church. It’s not because I don’t believe in God or anything but the rate of hypocritsm in the house of God frightens me.

I love to live my life and leave God to judge it but there are some people who thinks they’re all righteous and holier than others and then they start to judge as if they were God. And yet these same set of self righteous ones are the worse pack of sinners.

Seriously, I’m afraid to go to church because I’m afraid of being judged.

Usually, I skip church services once again I’ve taken breakfast but not today.

Sharon wouldn’t let me skip today’s service. She had to drag me all the way from the cafeteria towards the school’s Catholic Church.

” Stop being grumpy!” She sneered at me. ” You have seven days in a week. Sure you can dedicate one day to your creator, come on.”

I groaned as she pushed me into the Church entrance. We both found a bench and sat down as service kicked off.

To my surprise, the church service was organized by the students. There was the students choir, a girl was even playing a drum set just like a boy, then there was this girl that led prayers, then came the funny drama presentation and so on and so forth.

I really enjoyed myself. It was the first time in my life seeing kids taking control over some adult responsibility carried out in church.

I was impressed.

” Are you having fun?” Sharon smiled, seeing my jovial expression.

” You bet,” I grinned. ” Can’t believe I’ve been missing this.”

” Just wait till you hear her preach the word of God,” Sharon smirked. ” She has the voice of an Angel.”

I stiffened. ” Hold the phone, a student is preaching?”

Sharon looked oddly at me. ” Why surprised? Ofcourse a student is preaching. This is an all girl’s school. Men are not allowed in here, well except a few but Mrs Cooker wasn’t crazy about getting a priest so she just built the church and allowed us to coordinate things for ourselves.”

” That’s interesting,” was all I could say.

” But guess what?” Sharon asked, nudging me with her elbow.

” What?”

” We the students have filed some compliant to Mrs Cooker to get us a priest or a nun. It gets pretty boring sometimes in here. We needed an adult to take control of some certain things. So after much consideration, Mrs Cooker announced she’d find us a priest. We’re Soo excited. We hope he’d be around this Sunday or next.”

I was excited as she was. ” Really, well that’s great. At least we’d have an adult around to look after things.”

Sharon agreed then she stood up just as others did. ” Get up, Lucy. We’re about to hear the word of God.”

Everyone was on their feet so I joined them.

A girl was mounting the pulpit. She was dressed in an immaculate white uniform that was well ironed and perfectly neat. She was wearing a white cloth over her head and for a moment, I thought she was Virgin Mary.

” Wow, she’s beautiful,” I whispered to Sharon.

Sharon smiled. ” She sure is.”

But when she raised her face, I received a jabbing shock.

A shock that travelled up my arms to my entire system. A shock that electrified me and caused me to gape with my eyes Poppin out of my Sockets.

Da’ f--k! Is that Collette?!

It was Collette!

Her eyes traveled round the sea of faces and she dropped the Bible on the pulpit and closed her eyes, making the sign of the cross.

” Let us pray.”

Eh?!

I glanced at Sharon. She was closing her eyes as well.

Ehh?!!

Collette began prayers. ” Holy Mary, mother of God, pray for us sinners….”